Another Zodiac Secret?
by Mew Mai
Summary: Mai's family has a secret. Someone found out and now Mai's the only one left in her family. When Her and Yuki collide in the hallway, will both of their secrets be discovered? So what does Akito have to say about this? REWRITING NOW, UPDATE WHEN I CAN!
1. Tragedy

**(Author's Note:**** In case none of you have read my profile, I am now going to rewrite each of my stories, chapter by chapter because I decided that they suck, so be patient as they get better please!)**

**Mew Mai: This is my first Fruits Basket fan fiction! I'm so excited!**

**Friend: It's always your first some type of fan fiction and you're always excited.**

**Mew Mai: You're right…**

**Friend: The disclaimer?**

**Mew Mai: Right! I don't own Fruits Basket! But in my heart I own Yuki!**

**Friend: And in my heart I own Kyo!(****AN:**** Actually, this said friend now likes Haru, and a different friend likes Kyo…I thought I'd mention this in case any of you thought this was valuable information) …But they don't care about that so let's start the story.**

**Mew Mai: Good idea. Here ya go!**

A faint, even beeping brought Mai out of her slumber. She opened her eyes and sat up slowly to see that she was in an empty hospital room. She clutched the scratchy white sheet on the bed and looked around, somewhat disoriented. It was a rather small, yet for some reason, private room. At least, it looked as such. She was alone, in any case. In the corner was a couple of hard, red chairs, and there was a small table next to one of them.

She felt the thick, white, bandages that were wrapped around her, from her chest to the top half of her legs. They kept those areas of her body fairly warm. Over them she was wearing a loose white tank top and loose white shorts. Her limbs felt stiff, as though she hadn't moved in weeks. _Come to think of it…when _was _the last time I moved…? _She stood up and began to think about the last thing she could remember before this room…

When suddenly, it hit her.

The memories, the gun shots, the fires… It was too much for her, she yanked open the door and ran. Unthinkingly, she raced down hallways and sped around corners, pushing past nurses and patients alike, far beyond caring. She distantly supposed that she looked like an insane mad woman. It was definitely what she felt like.

Somehow, Mai managed to have the exit in her sights. Instead of slowing down in relief, she increased her speed and charged out the opening glass doors. She didn't pause, but immediately turned right. In her craze, she passed a group of people who called out to her. She refused to listen, she had to keep going, she had to know.

It was a low temperature outside, a rather cloudy day with a breeze that blew from colder climates. Mai hardly noticed the goose bumps rising on her arms or the icy sting of the concrete against her bare feet.

After running for miles—that were just moments for Mai—she made it to the street that had been nothing but Aizakawa property, and ran faster still, though her sore feet ached in protest. The first house was that of her grandparents, it had been one of the first to burn and now there was nothing left. The familiar red and brown bricks no longer stood tall, but were piled up as nothing but charred concrete. The same went for the houses of her cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives that she'd barely known.

It was the same for all of them. But not the last one. Mai just knew it. Just because all of the other houses were gone, didn't mean that this wouldn't be an exception. Mai knew in the most logical part of her mind, in the deepest passions of her heart, and the purest depths of her soul, that it would still be standing. And then _he_ would come rushing out of the house and ask her where she'd been and how much he'd missed her.

But it wasn't true. Any of it. The last house on the street was burned down just like the others.

Mai's heart cracked down the middle, and from there it continued to break into halves and fourths, and eighths, until there was nothing but dust. _If only I tried harder to find the people who knew… If only I'd learned when and had warned them… If only we'd left sooner… '_If onlys' still zoomed through her head as tears began to stream down her face and she collapsed on all fours onto the lawn, pounding her fists into the dead, black grass, until, finally, her exhaustion took over and she slipped soundly into the blank bliss of unconsciousness.

*****

No one had ever been told by Mai that her family shunned her for who—no, 'what' would be the proper word—she was. Except for the one who had the right to hate her the most.

Not even her best friend, Reina—with whom she was currently staying with—knew the real reason Mai went to a bed made up of a spare blanket and a pillow and sobbed until a restless sleep claimed her. Because _he_ could never hold her hand, shelter her in his arms, kiss her… they could never do those things again because he was gone and she was still forced to live here, in this good-for-nothing world that seemed to give just a few moments of happiness, only to snatch them away, leaving only pain and suffering.

The news that the houses of everyone in her family had been burned down and that there were no more survivors in the Aizakawa family… That said news would be all over the school by second period. There was not even a hint of a doubt about that.

It was in her heart to simply stay home—if Reina's house could be considered "home"—for the next few days but school had been among the top five of _his_ List of Top Priorities, so she slipped into her blue and white school uniform and walked to the jailhouse with Reina, silently.

Mere seconds took years to tick by. In the hallway, fingers were pointed and words were whispered in her direction. At her locker, those next to her were silent. They did nothing but stare, as though she were some newfound alien or species of stupid.

During first period, Mai tried to tune out the mumbling that could only be the sound of gossip spreading, but the girls whispering behind her were too close to ignore. With each passing moment, her patience grew weaker and thinner until she couldn't take it anymore! She stood and whipped around in her anger, while a deadly glare contorted her facial features.

Venomous words that were as lethal as the snake venom that used to come from Sakura's poisonous fangs flew from her mouth coldly. "Well, I'm certainly glad that my personal life makes great entertainment for all of you. Perhaps one of you would like to interview me for the school newspaper, because if there are statements to be said, or questions to be asked, I'd like it all said to my face, instead of in the shadows, coming from the mouths of cowards!"

The girls, for maybe the first time in their lives, stopped speaking to one another, mouths slightly ajar, faces a deep shade of red. Even the teacher was silent, chalk in hand, writing equations on the board. "Nothing to say anymore? Well that's good because I didn't really feel like answering to shallow fools today!"

Mai walked silently—and more than a little dramatically—out of the classroom and closed the door just in time for her tears to poor over the edges of her eyelids. _I thought I was done with these little traitors! _She thought angrily, insulting the tiny droplets of salt water that seemed determined to give her face a bath. She leaned against the wall and stifled a sob, heading for the girls' restrooms, where she might, perhaps, get some much-need privacy.

When the first dismissing bell rang, the tears had long since stopped flowing and Mai had composed herself to walk to her next class as though nothing were wrong; an act that no one would believe, of course. But maybe if she wore an angry face today, no one would mess with her for a while.

Mai considered this option as she turned around a corner. She was unfortunately, not watching where she was going and the "Prince of Kawaia High", also known as "Yuki Sohma", the person she thought was such a joke, ran right into her!

This was a humungo problem and Mai, depression and anger forgotten, started panicking. _Damn it, damn it, damn it! This is what happened before, and now…I never learned how to erase peoples' memories and there's so many witnesses here and-- _This was when she realized that she was not six inches tall, she didn't have a tail, and her hands were not paws! She refused to let her face show her amazement, for that would arouse suspicion, but she was nonetheless filled with wonder and confusion at the same time.

Yuki, on the other hand, let his shock show. In her head, Mai snorted. _I'm sure his "princely pride" was insulted or something because he actually touched someone as low as me or something… Psh. What a fake…_ It's simple enough to say that her thoughts continued in the same context as the ones previous. However, despite what people at the school (other than Reina) might think, Mai really did grow up learning manners and some forms of courtesy. "Sorry." She murmured and began walking away from "His Princely-ness".

However, it had appeared that Yuki found his voice at last, "Ah…hold on for a moment please…I mean to apologize. If you would, stop by my house after school… I understand that this might seem rather sudden, but I also wish to convey my condolences about your family.

A wry smile made its way to Mai face. So…the "Prince" listened to gossip did he? "Unexpected but…" She glanced over at the Prince Yuki Fan Club who were spying and eavesdropping on the conversation. "…sure… I don't see anything wrong with that."

Mai barely understood the words that came from her mouth. Really, all she knew was that she wanted to annoy the idiotic girls of this school, and what better way to do it than to break one of their precious club rules?

But, her gut—which she always trusted—was telling her that this sudden invitation had nothing to do with the loss of her family. Oh damn. That thought about her family brought back the pain of her loss and she felt a twinge of regret in her heart.

**Mew Mai: So? Was it a good chapter? I know it's a cliffhanger, but I love them even though you don't. Please review! You can be as critical as you want! I never get very many! (makes puppy eyes) Please! The little blue button is just below! Just push it and type a few words! **

**And when you are done with that get ready for the next chapter called "Secrets revealed"!**

**Remember, little blue button, right down there!**

**(****Author's Note:**** Okay, I am much, much more satisfied with this than I was with how it used to be. I hope that you all feel the same! …even though there **_**is**_** much more amazing writing out there… If you've already read and reviewed this then, of course, you don't have to review again, but if you want to tell me if this is any better than it used to be, you're welcome to!)**


	2. Secrets Revealed

**(****Author's Note:**** Man, I am on a role! I don't think I've EVER worked so hard to update here… Man! I give all the credit to Ruki; she's the one who keeps mentioning her story and motivates me-whether she knows it or not-to continue working on mine! That's all!)**

**Mew Mai: I never get many reviews so thanks to the people that decided not to be lazy and reviewed:**

**madmonster24**

**punk rock vampire**

**Sasamigirl101**

**I am really very grateful! Now the moment you've all been waiting for: Chapter 2 Secrets Revealed! **

Sixth period took awhile. Mai looked up at the clock every hour, only to find that two minutes had passed. It appeared that she was more than anxious for the meeting with the supposed 'Prince'. As well as his family…_Oh, that's right… that Kyo kid is his cousin, right? _

Mai began to wonder what Yuki's parents were like; if they would think it was weird that a random girl that they'd never met before came home with their son. Then, all too suddenly, the teacher's lecturing stopped, the homework was assigned, and the final bell rang.

That's when Mai's heart stopped. _Oh dammit… I don't know where he lives. How am I supposed to meet him at his house if I don't have a clue how to get there?_

As usual, Mai's worries were in vain. When she walked out of the main entrance/exit of the school—still panicking like mad in the not-so-deep parts of her mind—she saw that Yuki had kept Kyo and…Tohru (?) waiting for her.

Yuki nodded her way when he noticed her walking out of the school. "I'm glad to see you here; I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten." Mai blinked and nodded, keeping her relief a secret. _Yes,_ Her inner voice said sarcastically, _You're going to the home of 'Prince Yuki' because of an invitation that came out of nowhere, _and_ you lied to your only friend about it…But at least Yuki won't know that you were worried about him thinking you were a rude person!_

"And what is this person doing here? Are we actually going to bring this _girl_ to our house?" Kyo asked with both of his hands crossed behind his head. Clearly, it was his way of showing his disapproval.

Yuki glared at his cousin. "I already told you, you stupid cat."

Just one little comment…and it made Kyo go right off the deep end. "Well I already _told_ you that it was a stupid idea, ya damn rat! And don't call me stupid!"

"What do you think you're going to do about it?" Yuki asked casually.

Tohru came between the two before anything more happened. "Please!" She exclaimed. "Please, don't fight!"

Mai was immediately surprised by the reaction she caused both of them to have. It appeared that they were both so immersed in the argument that they'd forgotten where they were, and that there were still people around them.

It was enough to make Mai suddenly crack a smile. A few small giggles escaped her mouth, as well, shocking her into silence. Slowly, she raised a hand to place moderately over her lips, surprised by her own reaction. _When did laughing feel so…relieving, and lifting?_ It almost made her want to do it some more, but that, of course, would make her seem even stranger than she already appeared to be. So she put her hand down from her mouth and allowed a tiny grin to place itself onto her face instead.

"_Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Reina asked. "It would be fun!"_

_Mai shook her head. "No thanks, Reina. You should probably get home so that your mom doesn't worry about you. I'll spend a couple hours looking around at different apartment buildings and then I'll work for a couple hours. I should be back at around 8:00, okay?"_

_Reluctantly, Reina nodded her head with neither a smile, nor a frown upon her face. "Alright, just don't take too long getting home. There are some weird people roaming the streets at night these days…"_

_Mai blinked in response to her friend. "Yeah…"_

Mai replayed the earlier scene in her head several times. _I lied… I lied to my only friend in the entire universe… I've never lied to her before… I could always tell her anything… Why did I lie about something insignificant like this? _Though, she thought these things, Mai knew that this was no insignificant detail. But perhaps, the realization would have made her turn around and go to work as though nothing had happened.

Mai was led to a house that was deep in the forest in, what seemed to be, a matter of minutes. Unexpectedly, she had to wait outside while Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo went inside and talked with someone behind the door in hushed tones.

Well, to tell the truth, Mai wasn't sure that it was possible for Kyo to speak in a tone that was anything softer than semi-angry-shouting. So perhaps, it was just Yuki talking with someone in a hushed tone.

Then, the door jerked opened to reveal a man wearing a green robe and a smile, yet with a curious look on his face. The force of the door coming open made Mai jump; this, of course, made her furious with herself for revealing an emotion that was somewhat related to fear. She could only hope that they didn't notice.

"Ah!" The man sang. "What a lovely specimen! (AN: I'm suddenly reminded of Mayuri Kurotsuchi from Bleach… It's kinda creepy actually…) High school girl, high school girl—oomph!" His twisted song came to an end with a backpack landing on his head. _Is this really Yuki's dad?_ Mai thought disbelievingly.

"Will you give it a rest? You're an embarrassment, Shigure." Yuki said.

Mai sat at the end of the table—so that she wouldn't be near anyone—with her hands folded in her lap. "Alright," She began, "I know that I'm not here because anyone is giving me their sympathy and, let's be honest, no one would invite a complete stranger over for dinner just because they felt like it. Something either happened or didn't happen in the hallway that was supposed to, when I crashed into Yuki in the hallway and I am here because of it."

Of course, Mai knew one of the possible two things that probably should've happened. But none of them would know her secret. The Aizakawa family secret had been taken to the grave, literally. And now only two people lived to know the secret; but Reina would never say anything, would she?

To start, Mai was introduced to Shigure, the guy wearing the green robe, and, not Yuki's _dad_, but another one of his cousins.

They couldn't know _her_ secret. They couldn't _have_ a secret. Right? So then what was she getting so worked up for?

Shigure sighed, "The head of the Sohma family, Akito, has been rather distant. It seems that he's have isolated himself from us recently, so we've made this decision ourselves…"

Then, Yuki, directly across the table from Mai, began talking. "In the hallway, this morning, when we bumped into each other," he inhaled a deep breath and paused, "…I should have been turned into a rat."

Shock didn't spread over Mai's face. She knew. She supposed she had always known. Yuki's air of mystery and his distance from other people… this was why. And deep down, she'd known the reason behind it. She had never wanted to admit that there was anyone like her –other than_ him_—but there was.

Yuki watched her reaction and, getting nothing, continued. "But I didn't. And we need to find out why."

"Can Yuki really hug you without turning into a rat?" Shigure asked curiously, with a hint of amusement in his voice. Yuki nodded and Mai shrugged, not wanting to give herself away. This time, Shigure spoke with much more than a hint of amusement. "Show me."

Mai turned a light shade of pink at this. But she wouldn't give in to any type of emotion. She stood up, walked past Kyo and Tohru around the table—she didn't trust Shigure enough to go around in the other direction—and awkwardly wrapped her arms around the shoulders of Yuki Sohma.

Again, nothing happened. But Shigure was persistent to make Mai uncomfortable. It was clear in the laughter that was hanging in his voice. "I'm sorry Miss Aizakawa, but now that we have that straightened out, you'll have to hug the rest of us… It's the only way to figure out the reason behind this."

Mai frowned at this. Wasn't hugging Yuki enough? As an answer to Shigure, Mai sighed. She decided to hug Kyo first, just to piss him off. It would bring a grain of satisfaction to her if she was successful.

Mai walked two steps around the table, bent down, and wrapped her arms around Kyo's neck in an all-out hug. _This has to get him angry!_ The face he made before he transformed was a combination of anguish and fury. His cat ears even came out. It was priceless.

There were two 'poof' sounds and two clouds of smoke; one green and one orange.

And then suddenly the shock of seeing the transformation of a cat, even though the colors were different, was too much. Mai, as a black rat with green eyes, felt her eyes burn and scurried away to the first private room, a bathroom.

She ran in and managed to close the door. Near the bathtub, Mai stared at the ground until tiny tears fell onto equally tiny paws. It didn't take long for her to change back into her naked self, and she lied down on the floor as silent sobs shook her and tears continued to run down her cheeks.

There was a knock on the door. "Mai, I have your clothes here if you want them…" It was Tohru. Too upset to speak, Mai nodded even though that gesture wouldn't be seen through the wood of the door. It opened just a crack and Mai's school uniform was thrown inside the bathroom.

Mai picked the pieces off of the ground and pulled them on. She was still crying when she left the bathroom—the sobs, at least, had gone—and she walked past the rest of them without a word to sit on the porch, her head in her hands. She knew they were watching her, waiting to see if she would come inside. She didn't care. The pain of her loss was far too great for her to even briefly think about anything else.

Mai finally did go inside and was relieved when no one mentioned her sudden crying. She sat down at the table again, and listened to what Shigure had to say. "Well, now we know. You and Yuki are both possessed by the spirit of the rat, so neither family curse affects either of you. Mai… I am going to suggest that you stay here and live with us as Tohru has." Mai's eyes widened as Shigure continued.

"I understand that your family is no longer around…And I know that it would be a big change for you…" Shigure let his words trail off to let her think.

Mai looked at everyone: Kyo, who wasn't really looking anywhere, just at the floor; Tohru, who looked happily but expectantly back at her; Shigure, who had a look on his face as he looked into the table that made Mai raise her eyebrows, and lastly, Yuki. She found a strange feeling of warmth and encouragement in his gaze that reminded her of the same type emotion from not so long ago.

Logic told her many things. She couldn't continue to impose on Reina and her single mother. With her job and salary, there would be no way for her to afford an apartment close enough to the school that she wouldn't have to walk more than ten miles.

Gut also told her many things. Guilt would fill her to the brim if she continued to live off of Reina's few resources. She wouldn't be able to push herself enough to keep up with school and work, no matter what way she would be forced to provide for herself. That left only one option; the one that she was most reluctant to take.

But, Mai looked to Shigure, who was expectantly awaiting an answer, and nodded her head. "I guess I don't have much of a choice." _Man…when I say it like that it sounds like I'm being threatened to move here or something. It makes me sound really ungrateful…_

All of the sudden—and totally freaking Mai out—Shigure became very cheery. "Well then, now that all of this troublesome business is settled, it's time for another one of Tohru's delicious, home-cooked meals."

Tohru smiled and went to the kitchen to bring it out. "Are you hungry, Mai?"

Mai looked at the sky outside. _A lot more time has passed than I thought…_ Turning back to Tohru, she smiled a bit and nodded, in an effort to be polite. Deep down, however, feelings of grief and loneliness filled the pit of her stomach and rose to the back of her throat, filling her mouth with a tastelessness that made the savory flavors of the fish feel like nothing more than flour.

**Mew Mai: Okay, I know that it's not exactly a cliffhanger, but what will happen when Mai moves in? I know that this is just chapter two, but I'll give you a hint. Chapter 7 is called Akito…(DUN Dun duuuuuuuuun)**

**So please review! Little blue button, right down there! Don't be lazy! Please!**

**(****Author's Note:**** Really, it's incredible how taking a crappy piece of writing and adding detail and better words and phrases can more than double the word count…)**


	3. Moving

**Mew Mai: Wow. I'm already updating! It's because I have no life whatsoever! Thank you for reviewing:**

**KuroNekoFangirl**

**darklord3535**

**And**

**Mariny the one and only**

**I have nothing to say right here except for: I don't own Fruits Basket and enjoy chapter 3!**

"You know Reina; you don't have to help me. I can do it myself…" Mai said. "I know," She replied. "But I want to."

Mai was packing her very few things into a box so that she could move into the Sohma house. She decided that Reina wouldn't be ready for the news that Mai was moving into "Prince Yuki's" house, so she had been told that Mai had found an apartment.

Mai was very nervous at the thought of living with three guys and the ever-optimistic Tohru, but somehow, Yuki had given her confidence.

Then she began to think about him as a person. Mai had used to think that he loved all the attention he got when it really seemed to annoy him most of the time. He was actually really cute, and polite, and friendly, and…NO!

Mai would never love again, not when love itself had hurt her so much. Plus, it would be like betrayal! He was her only love! She would love only him! No one else! Except that he was gone…

Okay, so maybe she was being a little overdramatic.

Mai thanked Reina and her parents for allowing her to stay in their home and walked to the Sohma house.

Walking by herself made Mai pensive. She began to think about her family. In the Aizakawa family, everyone knew about the zodiac secret. Even as a young child, Mai had been shunned just for being the rat; the one who made it so that the poor cat had to be excluded.

Hiroshi, the cat, the one who had the strongest reason to hate her, didn't. He loved her instead of hating her, held her instead of yelling at her, kissed her instead of beating her… Mai shuddered. It had been almost a month, but she still had the bruises on her back.

Thinking of Hiroshi made her want to cry but she held the tears in. Little did she know, there would be more tears to come.

**Mew Mai: Yes! Another cliffhanger! And I know that it's short…really short, but I'll update very soon! Today, or tomorrow, promise! And don't forget to review! Once again, little blue button, right there, just click it! Let's not be lazy!**


	4. Two Flowers

**Mew Mai: Hello! It's me, like I promised! Okay, so I'm a day late, sorry about that…**

**Any way, I don't own Fruits Basket! Or Yuki (sob)**

**Here's chapter 4…**

When Mai arrived to the Sohma house, she was welcomed in by Shigure. He took her box for her and led her to her new room.

Shigure told her that Yuki was out somewhere, Tohru was working at her job (which reminded Mai that she should start going back to work this week), and Kyo had been dragged off to downtown Tokyo by a girl named Kagura.

In her new room, Mai began to put the few things in her box away. Her couple outfits that she had bought while living at Reina's were hug in a small closet. Her ipod and cell phone were put on her nightstand. Mai had managed to save a lot of her books and they just went on the floor for now.

Then, she looked at the last thing her box. Why did she save this? It was only going to bring pain. It was a photo album. _Their_ photo album.

On the front was a picture of Mai, hugging a handsome, young man with deep blue eyes and brown hair with natural, tan streaks through his hair.

Hiroshi.

Mai hadn't even looked at the album itself, not since the accident. She walked downstairs. "Shigure? I'm gonna take a walk, okay?" "It's fine with me, Mai." He answered from his office.

After walking for a few minutes, Mai decided that it had been a good idea to come outside for a while. She breathed in the clean forest air and felt so refreshed! She sat down against the trunk of a tree and opened the album that held so many precious memories.

On the first page, there was a picture of Mai and Hiroshi, battling at guitar hero. On the second page, was a picture of Hiroshi holding Mai bridal style in his arms. (It had been against Mai's will, as was obvious in the picture).

Mai flipped through the pages, more tears dripping down her face with each page. Finally, she came to the final and most precious page. She and Hiroshi were kissing. Seeing that, made Mai cry so hard that she fell asleep.

Mai was walking down her family's street. Every house was still there. There were no dead bodies littering the lawns, no scorch marks on the house. Hiroshi was on the end of the street, waiting for her. It was the weekend again and they were going out.

Mai ran into his comforting embrace and he held her tight. They kissed and had just begun walking when there was a gun shot.

Mai whipped her head around to see about ten men running. They were burning the houses and shot anyone who came outside.

Hand in hand, Mai and Hiroshi ran. There were more shots and Hiroshi fell backwards. "Hiroshi! Get up, get up! We have to go! Come on!" she cried.

"Mai…run…please…and take good care of yourself…"He closed his eyes.

He couldn't die! "No, Dammit!" She was crying and yelling now. "Get up Hiroshi! Don't go, Hiroshi! I love you! Do you hear me, you damn bastard!? I love you…"

A voice interrupted the nightmare. "Miss Aizakawa? Miss Aizakawa? Are you alright?"

Mai opened her eyes and gasped. Oh, it was just Yuki. "Are you alright?" He repeated. "You look a bit pale…" Mai tried to keep herself from shaking. She hoped this nightmare of a life wasn't going to scare her forever. "I'm fine…just a…a bad dream."

She stood up and grabbed the photo album. Yuki began to walk her back. "You should still take good care of yourself. When Tohru was careless like this, she had caught a fever."

Time stopped. "take good care of yourself…" Those had been Hiroshi's last words to her…And then Yuki had said them…Was it coincidence? No, it never was…But still.

"Miss Aizakawa? Are you coming?" Yuki asked. "Yes, I'm coming…But please, call me Mai. 'Miss Aizakawa' seems too formal." Yuki nodded. "I understand…Mai."

She smiled, for the first time in a while. And, surprisingly, it felt good; she smiled all the way home.

Home? She already thought of it as home? Walking to the porch, she realized that it really was, home.

After Yuki had gone inside, Mai noticed Tohru sweeping. "Tohru? Do you need me to help you?" Mai asked.

"No!" She practically shouted. "I couldn't ask for your help!" Mai's smile widened. "Relax. I'm only asking because I can't just sit in my room all day. Tell you what, I'll make dinner, okay?"

Tohru looked as though she were about to protest but then thought better of it. "Oh, okay." She answered with a smile.

Mai searched through the kitchen. She finally decided on beef stew with a side of rice. And for desert, cheesecake! The greatest American food ever created! She had gotten the recipe from a pen pal from the States whom she had lost contact with.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ah! As usual Tohru has outdone herself in the making of another fantastic meal!" Shigure was using his creepy sing-song voice again.

Kyo grunted in response. Then Yuki said, "Yes, but it tastes a bit different than I remember. Did you use different spices this time Miss Honda?"

Tohru grinned. "Actually, Mai made the stew because she wanted to help out! So, I got a break today!"

Mai blushed. She had never taken compliments very well. "Really?! That's wonderful!" Shigure said. "Now we have two flowers in our humble home!"

Mai was now debating on whether or not to slap him. She decided not to. There was a faint beep from the kitchen. She rushed to it. THE CHEESCAKE WAS READY!!!!

**Mew Mai: Okay everyone! This should be long enough, it's about 900 words. Just so that there is no confusion, Hiroshi was a brown tabby cat. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**

**And for any of my Tokyo Mew Mew fans, I probably won't update any of my stories again until I'm finished with this one. Sorry!**

**Don't forget to review! Once again, don't be lazy! Just push the little blue button! It's already on 'submit a review'. Less work for you. One click of the mouse. That's all.**


	5. Old love and New love

Mew Mai: Yes

**Mew Mai: Yes! The time has come! Everyone, get really excited because its time for the moment you've all been waiting for: MaixYuki Time! Actually, the chapter is called "Old Love and New Love" but you get the point…**

After dinner and the delicious cheesecake, Mai went upstairs to her room and changed into warm pajama pants and a tank top.

She put her hands on the cool, misty window and looked up at the moon. The moon had always reminded Mai of Hiroshi; so innocent and bright, and just full of life!

Again, thinking of Hiroshi brought tears to her eyes. She had just begun to sob when there was on knock on her door. Mai quickly wiped her tears and stared out the window without blinking to stop more from coming. "Oh, Yuki…is something wrong?" Mai tried to sound nonchalant but her voice shook.

"I should ask you the same question. My room is just below yours; I could hear you crying." He said. Mai was slightly embarrassed that she had been heard. "Oh." Her voice caught in her throat so it came out scratchy. "I-I, I guess that I just haven't gotten over the loss of, of my family…" Mai turned back to the window.

A cloud covered the moon. A cloud had covered the moon as easily as Hiroshi's life had been taken away…

Mai heard a squeak as Yuki sat down on her bed; and then another one as he quickly got up again. He immediately came over to Mai sounding urgent and concerned. "What's on your back?!"

Oh no. Mai mentally smacked herself. What was she thinking? Wearing a tank top! Now Yuki had seen. How was she going to explain the bruises on her back? 'Yeah, Yuki, my family abused me for something I didn't do! Isn't that something?' Yeah, right.

Still, Mai swallowed hard, remembering the pain, both physical and emotional, that her family, mostly her own parents, would go that far to punish her. Yuki was still waiting for an answer. "I, uh…"

Mai couldn't continue speaking as Yuki lifted the back of her shirt to inspect the purple splotches that Mai's family had left her. She wondered how he felt right now. She doubted that he had experienced something like this… He was probably amazed. Mai was amazed that she trusted him enough to let him look.

Gently, he put a warm, firm, soft, hand on her back, then turned Mai to face him and asked "Who would do this to you?"

After thinking for a while, Mai decided to tell him the truth. He deserved to know. "My, uh, um, my parents…" Yuki's look of concern turned to one of shock. "Why?!"

Mai sighed and sat on her bed and hugged her knees. Yuki sat next to her and pulled her close to listen. "Everyone in my family knew about the zodiac curse. And everyone felt sorry for the poor cat who was forced to be excluded…"

Yuki interrupted. "But, what does that have to do with you?" It took Mai a minute to find the right words. By the time she did, tears had continued their trails along her cheeks. "Because, it's the rat's fault…" She said simply.

This statement blew him away. "That doesn't make any sense! Why would _anyone _do that to you? That's just an old folktale!" He protested.

Mai did her best to explain. "My family was really very superstitious. They, they truly believed that it was my fault for isolating the cat." She finished sadly.

Yuki stood up. "This is not making any sense! In the Sohma family, the cat was always shunned but, no one ever acted so extreme!" He paused. "Did the cat do anything to you? I mean, the cat would have reason to, you know…"

Mai was unable to control herself at this. She began shaking and tears came out. She tried to get up; Yuki helped her and held her in his arms in an attempt to calm her.

When Mai spoke, her voice was unsteady. "H-he w-was-" She started. She tried to speak a little clearer. "He treated me like…like I wasn't the evil, scheming rat who deserved punishment. Whenever my family did something like this, he would comfort me afterwards."

Mai raised her voice a little. "And I-I loved him!" Now it quieted as she cried even harder and buried her head into Yuki's chest. "The fact that a single gunshot can take him away is just too much for me to handle!"

Yuki squeezed her tightly while Mai sobbed into his shirt.

Even though Mai found some comfort in the embrace, the tears kept flowing. Mai was now torn. Torn between Hiroshi and Yuki; old love and new love. Would Hiroshi forgive her if she chose Yuki? Would the pain of the old love go away if she chose new love? Mai hoped so.

She broke from Yuki's arms and turned around. "When Reina discovered the zodiac secret, she found it hard to believe that the rat could love the cat and vice versa. But…" Mai paused. How would she word this? She faced Yuki once more; stared right into his eyes. "I never thought that I would love another rat…" It sounded good enough.

Mai practically fell into his arms as though she had needed this for a long time. Yuki held her against him as she clung to his chest. Mai brought her head up and their lips almost touched when there was a knock, interrupting their…moment.

"Mai?" They broke apart; it was Tohru. "Have you seen Yuki anywhere? He was supposed to help me study…"

Yuki answered. "I'm here. I'll be right out to help you."

Tohru opened the door. "Oh, what were you guys doing?" Anyone but Tohru would know the answer to that.

"We were just talking, you know, just getting to know each other." Mai answered. Almost getting to know each other's mouths… They didn't though, so it wasn't really lying…

Yuki glanced at the clock. "Well I guess I should help you with your studying before it gets too late Tohru."

Wow, 11:00. Time flies when you're confessing your secrets and past to a person you think you might love…

"Yeah, I guess I should get to bed…Good night Yuki." Mai said.

"Pleasant dreams to you, Mai." He answered.

**Mew Mai: This had better be long enough. It's over 1,000 words! At the beginning I forgot to mention:**

**Thank you to:**

**darklord3535**

**OutcastLover**

**Yin7**

**Miu The Princess Of Nature**

**KuroNekoFangirl**

**I appreciate your reviews very much!**

**So, guess what everyone?! I very quite recently had brownies and coca cola! It was good! And I am hyper! I am also listening to music.**

_**Hey hey you you**_

_**I don't like your girlfriend**_

_**No way no way**_

_**I think you need a new one**_

_**Hey hey you you**_

_**I could be your girlfriend**_

**I like this song! Don't forget to review! Little blue button! Right there! Click it! Come on, do it with me! Move your cursor(that's the little arrow on the screen) down to the blue button with the word go on it. Good job! Now just type in a few words! I don't care if it's another language! Even gibberish! I switch between languages in the not-computer-world all the time! From Spanish to Japanese to Gibberish to Chinese! I'm going to go play video games now…Maybe guitar hero…**

**And remember 'Yay su I nu!'(Chinese for 'Jesus loves you!')**

**Yay! Now I'm listening to the Chipmunks!**

_**I told the witch doctor I was in love with you…**_


	6. Akito

Hey

**Hey! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while! I got caught up with my newest story 'The cat or the rat?'. You guys should read it, I've gotten a lot of good reviews for it. It's an interactive story. But, now is not the time for that, now is the time for 'Another Zodiac Secret?'! So, here is chapter six, Akito.**

Only a month had past since Mai's confessions had been spilled to Yuki. But since then, their relationship had grown they became pretty close.

One day, in the middle of doing her homework, Mai heard "That's it rat boy! I'm gonna break your pretty face!" coming from Kyo. She had to see this!

Mai raced down the stairs and onto the lawn as quickly as she could. "Hey, Tohru, what's going on?" Before Tohru could answer, Kyo said proudly, "Today, is the day that I will finally beat that damn rat!"

Mai immediately understood what was going on and she jumped into the opportunity. "Really? I'd like to see how good you are." Kyo began to laugh. "What? A scrawny girl like you? I could beat you with my eyes closed!"

Mai leaned into his face. "Then I guess you have nothing to lose do you?" She was grinning in a mischievous way that really seemed to piss Kyo off. "Fine! Just don't expect me to go easy on you because you're a girl! He completed his sentence with a punch toward Mai's face, which she dodged.

Kyo didn't want to seem to give Mai a chance to attack because he never stopped throwing kicks or punches, so Mai never stopped blocking them.

Without having to wait too long, Mai found an opening. She jumped up, gripped his shoulders, flipped over him, and tossed him onto his back. He lay there, clearly embarrassed at his defeat. Kyo finally got up and said "Dammit! You're even worse than that damn rat!"

Mai wasn't finished yet. "Really? And just how good is the Sohma family rat?" She turned towards Yuki with her teasing question. He smiled and mystery covered his eyes. "We'll have to see won't we…?"

"You know Yuki, if you go easy on me, I'll have to personally see to it that you die at a young age." Mai joked. Yuki chuckled and said "Not a chance!"

So, punches were thrown and blocked and kicks were hurled and dodged. They could have gone on for hours or minutes. Mai threw a punch and Yuki grabbed her hand, then he threw a punch and Mai grabbed his hand. They pushed until neither could take it anymore and they both fell to the ground.

Kyo burst out laughing. "Ha! Yuki can't beat a girl!"

"You couldn't either, Kyo…" Shigure retorted.

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While eating dinner, there was a knock on the door. Mai jumped up to answer it.

Standing on the porch was a guy, not too older than Yuki, with black hair, wearing all black. "Hello, this is the house of Sohma Shigure, I believe. I am Akito, head of the family, may I come in?" Mai immediately didn't trust him, his voice was gentle, but he had a sour air to him.

Mai covered her mistrust with a fake smile and said "Sure, come on in. Shigure," She called. "There's an Akito here for you!"

Mai walked in just in time to see shock and fear spread across Yuki's face. It did not go away as Akito entered the room. She resumed her seat next to Yuki and grasped his hand under the table, he needed comfort. Though she didn't know why, it probably had something to do with Akito and his sudden presence.

"I have come to speak with all of you for two reasons. You may have been thinking that I have isolated myself from you, but the truth is that I have been recovering from pneumonia. As head of the family, my decision is needed for all decisions. I need to know whether the decision regarding Mai Aizakawa was wise, but also, I will need to spend some time with Yuki over the weekend. To save time, both of them will be coming with me. I'll be back on Friday…" And with that he left.

Yuki was practically frozen with fear. The only one who didn't seem concerned was Kyo. Mai could feel Yuki's pulse with her hand, and was beating 50 miles a minute. She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear "Yuki, I don't know exactly what you're scared about, and I can't tell you that it will be alright because I don't know…but I can tell you this: Whatever happens, I'll be there to go through it with you."

It seemed to comfort Yuki enough; he smiled. "I think some gardening will calm me down. Want to come with me?" He asked hopefully.

Mai couldn't be more delighted. She had just finished saying 'Of course' when an idea came to her. "But tomorrow, we go to one of my special places!"

Yuki nodded his agreement and led her through the forest to a small vegetable garden. Mai thought that it was adorable. "Wow, did you do all of this by yourself?"

"No," Yuki answered. "Miss Honda helped me with some of it…"

"Oh." What was she feeling? "What are you planting?" She asked. "Leeks, carrots, strawberries-"

"Strawberries? Really? You don't seem to be the strawberry type." Mai stated.

Yuki seemed rather reluctant to answer. "Actually, there for Miss Honda…" Was it jealousy she was feeling?

There was silence between them. Mai found that a garden was something she could really appreciate but…well, she supposed she really did envy Tohru.

She decided to break the awkwardness; there was no need to be jealous. "It must be really nice. Come out here, and just get away from everything."

Yuki sounded so relaxed. "It is, gardening just gets rid of my stress."

"Yuki? If you don't mind me asking…why are you so afraid of Akito?" She asked.

His face darkened. "I-I'd really rather not say…"

"Okay. Don't feel bad or anything, I don't need to know." Yuki smiled, the darkness fading from his eyes. "But actually, from what you said earlier, you don't seem to be the strawberry type either."

Mai blushed slightly, she was still a bit embarrassed by her envy. "Well, strawberries are okay sometimes but…blackberries are my favorite."

Yuki chuckled. "I should have known, sweet, yet black, evil, like you."

Mai gasped in false hurt and smacked his arm lightly. "Yuki Sohma! How dare you say such a thing!" Then, she let her giggles escape.

When she finally stopped, Yuki asked. "So, where were you planning on taking me tomorrow?"

Mai wanted to take Yuki to a place that Hiroshi had taken her for their first date. It was a very special place to her, but more than that, tomorrow was Thursday and Mai wanted Yuki to have fun before they had to go with Akito. "You'll just have to wait and see!"

**Yay! I finally got this chapter in! And guess what else! I'm eating jelly beans! I'll be hyper soon enough! Hmmmm, I think that one was tangerine…or maybe just orange…**

**Anyway, don't forget to review! I'll update as soon as I can!**


	7. Thursday: Meet the ox and the snake

Hi everyone

**Hi everyone. I'm sorry that I haven't updated in forever! I've been caught up with "The Cat or the Rat?" and my newest story "Clueless". But, I'm here now, and updating! So, without further ado: Chapter 7- Thursday: Meet the ox and snake!**

School went by amazingly fast, and soon Mai was walking home with Kyo, Tohru, and Yuki, holding his hand.

By now, their feelings for each other were not a secret to anyone in Shigure's house. In fact, even Reina knew now. A week ago, Reina was told of Mai's 'new' home. At first she freaked, but then said that for a person like Mai, it would probably be pretty normal.

When, erm, let's say about six-ish came around, Mai changed into a black knee-length skirt and a long-sleeved forest green sweater to match her eyes. Finally, she tied her hair into a ponytail and slipped into a pair of black boots.

She met Yuki, who was waiting on the porch. He was wearing white pants and a purple shirt. Mai grasped his arm with both her hands. "Yuki, I really hope that you have a good time tonight. I want to share it with you because, well, this place that I'm taking you, is where Hiroshi took me on our first date…" She blushed.

This seemed to shock him yet please him at the same time. "Well, in that case, I'd be honored to go." Mai giggled and they started walking.

It took awhile, but they finally made it to downtown Tokyo where 'His Rock' stood. The neon sign flashed green and blue as they made their way inside.

The simple-ness of the down stairs and the smell of snacks in the kitchen wrapped themselves around Mai and reminded her that this was her home. And, boy was it good to be back!

There were about thirty people, on the first floor anyway. They were either getting something from the kitchen, chatting at tables or booths, or playing pool, darts, air hockey, or foosball. Just as Mai remembered it, "Yuki, are you hungry or anything? What do you want to do?" She asked casually.

This seemed to break him from an observant trance. "Well, I guess I'd like to see what's upstairs first." He said. Mai smiled big. She was hoping that he would say that!

Upstairs there was flashing lights, pounding music, a dance floor, and… GUITAR HERO!! Mai was somewhat of a legend here at His Rock. At guitar hero! "Have you ever played guitar hero, Yuki?" Mai asked.

He shrugged. "Once or twice." "Good!" Mai said, rather enthusiastically. Before they could make it to the line, however, a voice shouted. "Mai!! Over here, Mai!" She turned to see a girl in a hot pink shirt and a denim mini-skirt. OMG!! She hugged her. "Aika!!"

"Mai! Where have you been! We've all missed you! We haven't seen you in, like, forever!" Aika cried to her friend in her naturally whiney voice. "Oh! Are you going over to play guitar hero? I wonder if you've still got it after not being here for almost three months!" She dashed back to the other side of the room.

Mai turned to Yuki. "Sorry about that. We used to head down to the kitchen, get really hyper and then act like idiots on the dance floor." She explained.

"Oh, I see, what about your friend?" Yuki asked. "Reina? She would usually come too, but she hasn't come since she broke up with her last boyfriend…"

Mai was starting to get impatient. She grabbed Yuki's arm and dragged him over to guitar hero to wait in line. Most of the players were amateurs so they didn't have to wait long. By the time Mai got the guitar strap around her shoulder, a lot of people had noticed that she was back and a small crowd had gathered around the huge TV where guitar hero was.

Her opponent turned to face her. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Mai Aizakawa." Mai narrowed her eyes and grinned evilly. "Yes, Hatsuharu, I'm back. Are you ready to be beaten again?"

"Haru?" Yuki asked. "Yuki, what are you doing here?" "I'm with Mai, what are you doing here?" "I've been coming here every night since the first time I battled Mai."

Mai interrupted. "Yeah, battled and lost!" "Not this time! You haven't been here for two months! You're out of practice!" "Wanna bet?" "You're on!"

"Don't hold back" by 'The Sleeping" began to play, making Mai and Hatsuharu both very competitive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hatsuharu lost, as usual. According to Yuki, this was his 'black side' and that he wasn't 'back to white' yet. "All right, that's it! I demand a martial arts battle!!" He was clearly still angry that Mai had beaten him, again.

Mai was unimpressed. "You just never give up, do you? You know him Yuki?"

"Uh huh, he's a Sohma. And a member of the Chinese Zodiac, the ox. And Haru? I'd advise against that martial arts battle…" Yuki said.

Mai sighed. "He's tried almost everything to beat me. Guitar hero, pool, darts, air hockey, dance-off's, eating contests…the list goes on and on… So, now it's a martial arts battle. He's just never going to realize that no matter what he challenges me at, I'll always beat him. Unless it's a how many times you lost in a row record…"

Haru was already in position and there was a fairly large crowd gathered around to watch. Mai placed her body into a position that had been practiced for years.

Haru struck first, his fist aiming for Mai's jaw. She ducked and swerved behind him, punching his side in the process.

"Hey!! Can you take this outside please!!" The owner begged.

Mai and Haru raced to the door, Mai won, and Yuki followed out casually.

Once outside in the dark, Mai aimed a kick to Haru's stomach but he snatched her foot just in time. She jumped up and pushed his shoulder with her free foot. While Haru fell backwards, Mai flipped in the air, landed on her hands and pushed herself onto her feet. "Well, there has to be some big finish…" She said when Yuki looked at her questioningly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After Haru 'turned back to white', Mai realized that him being the ox might have something to do with his hair. After playing guitar hero, dancing, and playing air hockey, it was already close to midnight!

They had been there for six hours! The walk home was a pleasant, chatty one. For a little while…

"Seriously, how did you get so good at guitar hero? You said you only played it once or twice!" Yuki and Mai had gotten an exact tie! Three times in a row!

"Maybe it's just another similarity between the rats." Yuki shrugged.

"Yeah, I think that-" Mai froze. She could have sworn that something had just zoomed up her leg and was now in her shirt!

"Mai? What's wrong?" Yuki asked. As an answer, the head of a snake poked out of the front of Mai's shirt, making her scream and yank it out. She was just about to throw it, when Yuki snatched it.

Mai was kind of frozen again, there was something gnawing at the back of her mind. Some piece of information that was relevant…

"We're here, Mai." Yuki said. "And you! You have some explaining to do!" Yuki said to the snake, snapping Mai out of her thoughts. The house? She hadn't even noticed that she had been walking.

Yuki stomped inside and yelled "Shigure!" Everyone was sitting at the table. "Shigure, if you invited him here, I'll-"

"Yuki, I understand that you're mad, but-" The snake protested.

"Don't tell me that it was survival instincts because you already pulled that one!"

"Oh, Yuki, must you always find a reason to hate me?"

Mai was now horrified. Because it had clicked. "T-that's a g-guy?" She asked fearfully.

Everyone nodded. There was a 'poof' and a naked, older version of Yuki popped up.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!! I feel so violated!" Mai screamed and ran to a corner to sit down.

Shigure laughed. "Mai, this is Ayame, the snake and Yuki's older brother.

Oh. Well, if it was Yuki's older brother that he didn't really like very much, then wouldn't be okay if she beat him up?

**Cliffhanger…sorta. I mean, it's obvious what happened. Mai beat the crap out of Ayame and he left. He only came by because he was worried about Yuki since Akito came. I don't really like Ayame but I have to say, whether Yuki wants him to or not, Ayame really looks out for his brother. So! Don't forget to review! And everyone, you need to feel bad for me, I have to get my braces tomorrow. I am going to miss gum, caramel, mike and ike's, and all the other chewy things that I won't be allowed to have…**


	8. Friday DUN, Dun, duuuuunn

Mew Mai: Hi everybody! Sorry I haven't updated in a long time but if you want an excuse, I had to study for exams. But, now it's summer and I have all the time in the world for my fanfictions!

Shigure: Sure, Mai, use that as an excuse. We all know that hardly studied at all and just spent most of your time on the computer and playing guitar hero.

Mew Mai: : ( Your weren't supposed to tell them that you dumb dog!!

Shigure: You don't have to be quite so mean. (fake crying)

Mew Mai: Oh, forget it. These people just want to see what happens next.

Kyo: Yeah, start the damn story already!

Mew Mai: See, readers?! See how I am treated?!

Shigure: Well, you know what they say, Mai, Que sera sera!

Kyo: Just shut up and--

Mew Mai: OK OK! I'll start the story! And you two, I'll have more to say to you later! But anyway! Here's chapter 8: Friday(DUN, Dun, duuuuunn)

Now it was Friday.

The friday that Akito would be taking Mai and Yuki to the Sohma house.

The main Sohma house.

From the moment Yuki woke up, he seemed distant. He hardly talked to anyone and was lost in his own thoughts. At breakfast, he hardly ate anything. On the way to school he was slow and silent.

Mai would wait for him and hold his hand. "Yuki..." She would say softly. But no words that would calm him came to mind. It was all she could say to him and she never recieved a response. She would squeeze his hand tightly in hopes of comforting him and half-pull him to school.

At school, he lost his temper with the 'Prince Yuki fan club', shocking them all into silence. Hatsuharu noticed this and asked him what was wrong but Yuki just ignored him and continued walking to his next class. In the hallway, Momiji tried in vain to make him smile in between classes. Everyone was powerless to access Yuki while he was in this state. And all too quickly, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the time spent at school. And they had to walk home. And wait for Akito. To take them to the Sohma house.

On the way home Mai walked slowly to keep herself from getting far ahead of Yuki and his slow pace. So slow, it took a full twenty minutes to get back to the house!

By the time they actually got back, Tohru had put two shopping bags on the porch, which, Mai figured, had the clothes they would need for when Akito took them to the dreaded Sohma house. Not that Mai would use them. She knew that she wouldn't be able to trust the main house, itself, let alone anyone in it.

Mai was starting to get worried herself, if this was Yuki's reaction, who knows what she should expect? Could it really be that bad? These questions kept repeating themselves in her head while Yuki and her were waiting for Akito to come.

And he DID come.

"Hello Yuki, Miss Aizakawa." He bowed. "We will be going now." He stood up straight and began to walk away without stopping or waiting for a reaction.

So they began walking through the woods in silence. Mai let her mind wander while her feet followed Akito. She had come a long way, she realized. It had been many months since she had ran from the hospital, to the burned Aizakawa houses, and collapsed. She had grown, become more mature. It was shocking fact, considering she hadn't noticed her growth, as one usually doesn't.

Mai reviewed the events that had happened ever since the accident:  
After she collapsed, she woke up back in the hospital(she had supposed that someone had found her and brought her there). That night, and many nights after, she cried for Hiroshi. When she was free to leave the hospital, she moved in with Reina and her mom. But, they couldn't support her for very long and she knew that she had to find somewhere else to go. A week later was when she crashed into Yuki and then moved into Shigure's house with them, Kyo, and Tohru. The night she introduced the American dessert, Chessecake, a recipe from her old pen pal. The night when she confessed all of her secrets to Yuki and almost kissed him until Tohru interupted. When Akito announced that he would be taking Mai and Yuki to the Sohma main house. Their date at 'His Rock'. And finally now.

Mai was sure that if Hiroshi were watching her, he would be proud.

"We're here." Akito said, snapping Mai out of her thoughts.

Looming above her was... Actually, a really nice, clean house. But Mai didn't trust it one bit. She reached for Yuki's hand to comfort him as well as herself.

The inside was the same as the outside. Clean, nice... But, it was awkward. Being in a house that belonged to Yuki's family... In a house that was full of secrets... But Mai could tell that Yuki was uncomfortable too. He clearly hadn't been there in a long time.

Akito took Mai and Yuki to two separate rooms that were next to each other. Mai didn't dare leave her room. Not even to see Yuki. She didn't trust anyone here, especially Akito; and it was clear that he didn't like her very much either. Mai tried to concentrate on her book but her mind kept wandering. Horrible thoughts(that came from being paranoid) flew into her mind and she began to worry about so many different things. Was Yuki alright? What if they came home to find Shigure's house burned down, just like Mai's family? What if...? The list went on and on. But she finally screamed at herself for thinking such things and forced herself to concentrate on her book which was about a girl on a dangerous journey that went to get her kidnapped sister from the phaeries. It was one of Mai's favorites.

Her concentration was all in vain when she heard Yuki's door open and a conversation began between him and Akito. "Yuki... I believe we should move you into a different room. This one doesn't really seem to suit you. No, no, leave your things here. You won't need them." The voices were slightly muffled by her door but she could make most of the words out. Mai opened the door. Akito stood there as if he had been just about to knock, with the same emotionless expression he always wore. "Hello Mai. I would like to talk with you for a while. About your stay at Shigure's house. I'll be back in a few mintutes. I have to move Yuki into a different room. One that suits him..." He left and led Yuki down the hall.

Alright! That was it! Mai knew that something was going on that she didn't understand, and it pissed her off!

She whipped the door back open and took off after Akito and Yuki. By the time she reached the last corner that separated them, Akito was pointing to a room and Yuki was frozen, his hands glued into fists that stuck to his side. "Go on, Yuki. It's time for you to learn." Akito shoved him in before he could react.

Without checking to see whether Akito had seen her, Mai raced back to the safety of her room. Panting heavily, more from shock and fear than from running, she tried to let herself rest in a bean bag chair in the corner.

Akito arrived soon after. He acted as though nothing was wrong, he was a brilliant actor. Seating himself on a wooden chair across from Mai, he began speaking. "There are a few questions that I'd like to ask you, Mai. About Shigure, Yuki, Kyo. ...About yourself. He first asked. "Why haven't you left the house yet?" There was a snarl in his voice and rage in his eyes. His anger and the fact that he had been so direct and open about his hatred for her shocked Mai.

'WHAT THE HELL DID I DO??'

Mew Mai: Yayy! Cliffhangers! Yeah, I guess this chapter was kind of short but you have to admit that a lot happened! A sneak peak into the next chapter: There will be violence and even a little bit of cheesiness! But, for now you have to wait until I decide to update! Muhahahahahahaha!

Shigure: You know, Mai, you can be really quite mean sometimes.

Mew Mai: I know!

Shigure: You're so much like Kyo sometimes!

Mew Mai/Kyo: I am NOTHING like that stupid cat/stupid author!!

Shigure: (creepy sing-song voice) Denial!

Mew Mai/Kyo: (rolls up sleeve and makes fist) Excuse me, dumb dog?!

Tohru: O-kay... Well, we're getting a little violent so I guess we should this here...

Yuki: (sigh) Yeah, I'm saying this for Mew Mai, don't forget to review... 


	9. Fight Memory With Memory

Mew Mai: Yay! I'm back from a long talk from the guru of inspiration!

Kyo: What the hell is that supposed to mean?!

Yuki (sigh) It means, stupid cat, that she finally has an idea for what to write next in the story!

Kyo: ...Quite acting so smart for the readers, you damn rat!

Tohru: Can't we settle this in a way that doesn't involve arguing?

Mew Mai: (sweatdrop) Not going to happen, Tohru...Just leave them alone, it'll all be over in a minute.

-Kyo goes flying threw Shigure's door-

Shigure: Why did you have make it MY door, Mai?!

Mew Mai: Stop whining!

Hatsuharu: Um...Here's the chapter...?

"There are a few questions that I'd like to ask you, Mai. About Shigure, Yuki, Kyo. ...About yourself." He first asked, "Why haven't you left the house yet?" There was a snarl in his voice and rage in his eyes. His anger and the fact that he had been so direct and open about his hatred for her shocked Mai.

'WHAT THE HELL DID I DO??'

"Actually, they all have been very nice to me. Since I first moved in." Should she? "And as for why I haven't left yet, I just so happen to like Yuki! Very much actually." 'Too late.' is what her inner mind said as Mai spoke the words to Akito in a matter-of-factly manner.

The next thing Mai knew, she was flying from a blow on her chin. As she crashed into the wall, Akito picked her up by her neck with his face contorted with hate and rage. As the air was squeezed out of her lungs, Mai became weaker and weaker until she transformed into her rat form. Furious, Akito flung her against the wall and slammed the door behind him, leaving Mai to sink into blackness that was unconciousness.

.:X:.

When Mai regained conciousness, she was in pitch-blackness. It took her a minute to remember what happened, she was so confused, when it hit her that she was naked. Maybe she would need those clothes that Tohru had so generously packed for her after all. She located the shopping bag and slowly slipped on what she thought felt like she normally wore when she went to sleep. It would suffice, she decided. After all, she was only going to find Yuki and get the hell out of here.

Mai stumbled over a couple things before reaching the door. By then, her eyes had about halfway adjusted to the darkness. She struggled to retrace her steps from when she followed Aktio and Yuki but began to think the task was hopeless. That is, until she heard a whimpering from behind one of the doors she passed. Mai thought that it sounded a bit like Yuki, if he ever whimpered. She opened the door and a whole new kind of darkness came out to meet her. She hesitated. How would she find anything if her eyes couldn't adjust even a little bit? Before she could make her decision, the darkness itself seemed to draw Mai into the room.

It actually kind of scared her. Mai had never been afraid of the dark but the room itself seemed to have a dark aura surrounding it. Before Mai knew it, she had already taken a few steps into the room and door seemed to slide until it kept her locked in.

Suddenly memories appeared in Mai's conciousness without warning. Not good memories, ones that had haunted her until she had fallen for Yuki. Abuse from her parents flew to racing away from the people who had shot Hiroshi. Those pictures flew backwards to something Mai didn't recognize. It must have been when she was quite young considering the way everyone in the memory looked about 10 years younger than when she had last saw them. Probably when she was a baby. Mai couldn't recognize the room but everyone she saw was glaring at her small form.

So she had been hated even as an innocent baby. Comforting.

Finally, the most horrific memory she had made Mai freeze with shock: Watching Hiroshi die.

It seemed as if the room itself had sided with Akito to stop Mai from getting to Yuki. Well, it was working.

No! She couldn't think this way! Hiroshi was dead and, as sad as it was, there was nothing she could do about it! Here she was, frozen in horror, stuck in the past, while Yuki needed her help! She couldn't play damsel in distress! She would not! Mai focused on a different memory, one that would bring happiness. The day she kicked the crap out of Kyo and had a pretty decent fight with Yuki. Yes. That would work. Mai struggled to remember the sense of victory when Kyo had lain on the ground in defeat. The cockiness she had felt when she challenged Yuki. The smug smile she put on when Shigure reminded Kyo that even though Yuki wasn't able to beat her, Kyo had flat out lost.

She would fight memory with memory.

Next, Mai focused on the whimpering that belonged to Yuki. It was coming somewhere to her right. She turned and walked blindly with her hands in front of her until she found a face. Yuki's face. Yuki cried out and Mai pulled him close, whispering in his ear and crying with relief. "Yuki. Yuki it's me. I love you, Yuki. Do you hear me? I love you. Do you love me as much as I love you?" The whimpering ceased.

Yuki seemed to calm down as he came to his senses and said. "...Yes. I'm sorry, Mai. I love you, too."

Mai tried to kiss him but her lips found his nose instead so she decided to wait.

But they weren't safe yet. They were still stuck in this horrible dark aura room. Mai helped Yuki up and he pulled her close, putting his lips to her brow. "Thank you." He said.

"We need to get out of here, Yuki. I don't trust anything about this place." Mai said urgently.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't agree, dear Mai." Light flooded the room, blinding Mai and Yuki. But Mai knew the voice before they could see again.

Mew Mai: You probably know who it is but it's a cliffhanger anyway because you don't know what will happen!

Kyo: Who is it? Is it Akito?

Yuki: Wow, cat, you're even more stupid than I thought if you have to even ask that.

Kyo: Will you quit calling me stupid?!

Yuki: Stupid.

Kyo: Alright damn rat! You--

Tohru: You guys! I'm really sorry, but you need to be a little quieter or you'll wake the baby! (She's whisper-yelling)

Mew Mai: What baby, Tohru?

Tohru: (Holds up bundle wrapped in a blanket) This one.

Everyone: (sweatdrop)

Mew Mai: Tohru...That's a doll.

Tohru: No! It's not honest! (pushes button on doll and it makes crying noises) See, if it's a doll then why is it crying?

Everyone: (even bigger sweatdrop)

Mew Mai: (sigh) Okay, then, Tohru, we'll discuss this after the readers leave. Everyone, sorry if this chapter is short but the story is probably going to be over in 2-3 chapters anyway, so...

Readers: Aww...

Mew Mai: Aww, come on, cheer up! Who knows, if I get enough reviews and an idea, maybe I'll make a sequal!

Readers(including anons): (Review, review, review)

Hatsuharu: That's your cue... 


	10. You can't control me Akito!

Mew Mai: I'm sorry my dear readers…I know that it's been around a year that I updated! I suppose I could give you dozens of excuses but when it all comes down to it, all that matters to you is that I haven't been updating my story… (sad face)

Yuki: But now she is updating and… (pause) …what was I supposed to say again?

Mew Mai: (whispers into Yuki's ear)

Yuki: Oh right, and she hopes that you'll forgive her. She is truly sorry.

Mew Mai: You could have said that with more emotion, you know.

Yuki: (shrugs)

Momiji: Here's the story everyone!

Kyo: Hey! You have no reason to be here, you're not in this story!

Mew Mai: Kyo, shut it.

They weren't safe yet. They were still stuck in this horrible dark aura room. Mai helped Yuki up and he pulled her close, putting his lips to her brow. "Thank you." He said.

"We need to get out of here, Yuki. I don't trust anything about this place." Mai said urgently.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't agree, dear Mai." Light flooded the room, blinding Mai and Yuki. But Mai knew the voice before they could see again.

"Akito! Why can't you just leave us all alone? Everyone! Can't you see that they're sick of you, the way you abuse your power as head of the family?!?" Mai cried desperately.

Calmly and slowly, Akito walked over to her and made eye contact. She could feel his rage from the intensity of his gaze and felt somewhat afraid. Suddenly, Akito broke the contact and flung Mai aside with one slap to the face.

Stunned on the floor, Mai lifted a hand to her cheek and let her fingertips brush the red mark on her face that Akito had left. Slowly she stood up from the floor, her mind empty of all thought. She let out a chuckle, which turned into all-out laughter.

Why she was laughing? Mai wasn't really sure. But by the way she had seemed to shock Akito so much that all he could do was stare, she kept it up.

When she had decided that Akito had gotten enough, Mai eased out of her outburst and took advantage of the situation. "Akito, that was the most pathetic blow compared to other things I've taken," _I mean, I've been abused to the point of losing consciousness, was something like that really supposed to hurt?_

Mai raised her voice. "And another thing, you think that you can just get rid of me using fear and violence! But what you don't understand is that you can't keep me from the Sohma family anymore!" Akito appeared hurt and so she continued, "You can't keep me from any one of them because I love them! They're my family now and Yuki's the most special! It scares you because there's nothing you can do to change it now!"

Mai almost started laughing again at the look on Akito's face. _He _seemed fearful of _her_ now.

Feeling that her work was done, she strutted to Yuki and hugged his arm, smirking at Akito who seemed to fall apart.

Ignoring Akito and smiling at Yuki with affection in her eyes, Mai interlaced her arm with his and slowly walked though the house and outside where they would return home.

_Yes…Let's go home, Yuki…Let's go home and live a happy life._

(Mew Mai and Reina hugging each other and crying)

Reina: *sniff* You really d-did a good job with this en-ending, Mai. …Though it was kind of short…

Mew Mai: (Let's go of Reina) Yes, well, there's still the epilogue. …I still can't believe that it's been a year since I last updated…

Momiji: (jumping up and down) Yuki! Are you going to marry Mai now?

Yuki: (blush)…You'll…you'll just have to wait and see in the epilogue…

Mew Mai: (blush) Momiji! Y-you…you shouldn't try to give anything away like that!

Kyo: (rolling on the floor, laughing)

Mew Mai: (face still red) Sh-shut up Kyo! You stupid cat! …S-so uh, just, um, review if you want to or, uh…


End file.
